I got a text late one Saturday night from one of my closest friends. It said, ‘…I haven’t seen you in ages and I’m worried we’ll drift apart.’

I felt two things; I was so sad that one of my best friends was feeling this way, and secondly I was ashamed. I was a fundraiser; relationships are what I do, what I’m brilliant at…so how did I get this wrong?

Fundraising is a tough game. There is no ‘9-5’, you need to remember hundreds of names, stories and appointments, and you have a rolling target that starts again the moment it’s reached. Add to that a desire to absorb as much learning as we can, volunteering to support other fundraisers or charities, the habit of always saying, ‘yes!’ – oh, and a life outside of fundraising, and you’ve got about ten minutes left in the day.

My mind was so full of work that I wasn’t nurturing my personal relationships with the same attentiveness as I do with supporters.

I’m not alone. I know fundraisers who work through their lunch because they have loads to do in very little time, the belief that working late is the only proof of working hard, and a fear of saying ‘no’ resulting in a weekend of doing laps around Scotland.

Fundraising is a wonderful profession and I adore every minute I get to work with the supporters and colleagues who make it so. But it’s so important to have a balance.

We need to chill. Take a step back, look at the bigger picture and re-approach our fundraising with a vibe of calm and mindfulness. Not only that but we need to carve out time for ourselves in the day to appreciate the goals we’ve already achieved and take time to do things that we love.

If we’re good to ourselves we can be better in our work; we’ll feel less pressure, get to appreciate the smaller accomplishments that lead to bigger goals and we’ll be better fundraisers – imagine how well we’ll build relationships if we’re always fully present in the moment.

How can we give 100% to supporters when our cup is half full?

As well at that, we’ll be looking after our mental health, personal relationships and be able to focus on what matters when it matters.

So how do we manage it?

Take your lunch break. Already eaten? Go for a walk, and take someone with you.

Block out your lunch break in your calendar.

Social media curfew; if you use social media for work, log off when your day is done and turn off your notifications.

Use ‘airplane mode’ for a total digital detox.

Block out ‘you time’ throughout your week. Go to the gym, read a book or get some air.

To-do list done? Log off, go home.

Learn to say ‘no’ and turn it into an opportunity. Would having volunteers make it doable?

Be strategic; always saying ‘yes’ to extra opportunities? Think of your end goal and the path you need to take to get there. If this won’t add value, let it go.

Work from home; less distraction, more comfort and increased productivity.

Turn off your email notifications. Choose set times each day to check and respond – add this to your ‘out of office’ and manage expectations.

3 minute rule; if a task takes less than three minutes to do, do it straight away. You use more energy putting it off and remembering it.

Speak up. Don’t be afraid to say when things are getting too much or you need help.

Help someone out you think might be struggling

By having a healthier approach to my work time balance, I’ve been able to pursue my rock star dreams

I’ve been doing this a lot more recently and have felt a MASSIVE change. I have more time for the people I love, freed up time in my day to devote to improving myself, and have felt more in control at work with the goals I’m aiming for; and been able to dedicate time to achieve them.

Today marks the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week 2018. Try it now; log off, go home, switch off and take some time for you – because you matter too.

what tips can you share that help you have a healthy approach to your working day? Tweet me @CharityNikki.

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